A collection of over 30 ornamental Crab Apple trees of various ages, shapes, flower colours and fruit colour and size. These trees were planted when Bayfordbury was owned by John Innes Institute and provide habitat for invertebrates (including pollinators), birds and a range of epiphytic mosses and lichens. A few trees have been colonised by Mistletoe.
Medlars are relatives of apples and pears and were cultivated for their fruits in the past. The fruits (also called medlars) can only be eaten when fully ripen and after the first frost. Medlars have been replaced by their tastier cousins as fruit trees but remain popular as ornamental trees. Our Medlar was planted at the end of the 20th century to replace an ageing one. Medlars are often grafted on Hawthorn or Pear rootstock. Our tree seems to be grafted on Quince (another old fruit tree close to pears).
An intergeneric hybrid between Medlar and Midland Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata). Our tree is very old, but it still produces plenty of flowers. Fruits (not as plentiful) are intermediate between medlars and haws (Hawthorn fruits).
This tree is more commonly seen in the Mediterranean region but is also considered to be native to Ireland. Unusually for plants, this species typically has flowers and fruits at the same time. The fruit, indeed, looks like a strawberry. It is not eaten raw but makes a good jam. The fruit in the image is from the Royal Holloway, University of London campus in Surrey, where a few trees formed a hedge, making it a more sheltered location compared to our tree.
References
Johnson O. (2004) Collins Tree Guide. HarperCollins, London, UK.
Sutton, J. (2023), '× Crataemespilus grandiflora' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/x-crataemespilus/x-crataemespilus-grandiflora/). Accessed 2024-12-06.